Delta softball strands tying run in seventh in playoff loss to Hartnell

Sunday

May 5, 2013 at 12:01 AM

The Delta College softball team needed one more hit to have a chance to upset Hartnell, but couldn't quite get it.

The Record

The Delta College softball team needed one more hit to have a chance to upset Hartnell, but couldn't quite get it.

The Mustangs' rally in the top of the seventh inning ended with the tying run stranded at first base and the Panthers won 5-4 on Saturday in the first game of the best-of-three California Community College Athletic Association Northern Regional playoffs in Salinas. The series resumes noon today, and if the Mustangs win, the third and deciding contest will take place 30 minutes after Game 2.

The 12th seeded Mustangs (21-18) led much of the game, but No. 5 Hartnell (32-7) scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. Angela Magana led off the top of the seventh for Delta with a double, and scored when Katie Bentz reached base on an error.

Bentz was on first with two outs when Bri Moreno, Delta's No. 3 hitter, hit a hard line drive to center field which was caught to end the game.

"We had the lead for a while, and at the end we had the go-ahead run at the plate," Delta coach Jim Fisher said. "I thought the odds were pretty good, but it didn't work out."

Bentz went 2 for 4 with a home run for Delta, and Brittany Ward had a double.

At Fullerton, the Tigers (28-25, 12-9 Big West Conference) were swept by the Titans (26-27, 11-10) as junior Tori Shepard allowed five runs on six hits to suffer the loss. Senior Megan Allen hit a two-run home run for Pacific's only offensive production.

At Klein Family Field, the Tigers (10-31, 3-14 Big West) tried to rally with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Warriors 11-29, 5-12) held on. Gio Brusa, a St. Mary's High product, his his first college home run, Taylor Murphy hit a triple and Dustin Torchio went 2 for 4 for Pacific. Pi'ikea Kitamura and Marc Flores hit homers for Hawaii.

At Gulf Shores, Ala. tthe Tigers duo of Hannah Clancy and Kat Schulz were lost a chance to compete in the AVCA Sand Volleyball Championships earlier in the day, but finished their stay in Alabama with a 15-21, 21-12, 15-12 win against Bethanie Thomas and Kiriana Hirini of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Clancy and Schulz lost to Lane Carico and Katie Madewell of Georgia State 21-16, 21-11. Clancy and Schulz finish the season 7-4.